Loose-leaf binder



Nov. 20, 1923. 1,475,054

H (L CROZIER L66E LEAF BINDER Filed Au 4, 1522 Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed August 4, 1922. Serial No. 579,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. Gnozrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phoenix, in the county of Maricopa' and State of Arizona, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification. V This invention relates to loose-leaf binders and proposes the construction of a device of the class designated in which the leaves are detachably secured in place by leaf-holding posts cooperating with a longitudinally slidable latching bar carried by the cover of the binder.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of leaf-holding posts of uniform diameter and'devoid of lateral undercut portions which would tear the edges of the apertures in the leaves when the latter are being removed from or replaced within the binder.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a loose-leaf binder includ- .ing a cover and a plurality of leaf-holding posts each provided with a transverse bore adjacent an end thereof and a slot of less width than the diameter of said bore, formed in the end of said post and joining said bore, there being a longitudinal latching rod carried by the *cover and extending through the transverse bores in the posts,

having portions of larger diameter fitting said bores and adjacent portions of smaller diameter fitting said slots, 'said rod being selectively reciprocable to'bring either of said adjacent portions into registry with said bores and slots.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of the leaf-holding posts with latching rod receiving slots in an end thereof and rod-engaging bores communicating with said slots, and a latching rod carried by the cover of said binder having adjacent portions of two dia1neters, one fitting the bores and the other the slots, said rod being brought into latching relation with the posts by movement of the cover, aligning said rod with said slots and causing those portions of the rod ofsmaller diameter to enter the same, and then pushing said rod longitudinally to cause the portions oflarger diameter to enter the bores of saidposts.

A further object of the invention is to make-the posts alike at both ends and therefore reversible and interchangeable.

still further object of the invention i the provision of a latching rod which is not subjected to twisting strains, in the normal operation of the device and which if forcibly twisted will not be rendered inoperative. l Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the improved looseleaf binder illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and particularly claimed, and in such variations and modifications thereof as will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates.

In the drawings accompanyingand form ing a part of this specification, and wherein the preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated Figure l is a perspective view of my improved loose-leaf binder in unlatched position with the leaves removed.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation showing the latching rod in unlatched position.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the latching rod in latching position.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective showing one of the leaf-holding posts.

Referring now in detailto the several figures, the .numeral 1 represents the cover of a loose-leaf binder, having the back portion 2 and the flexible foldable hinge portion 3. A metal hinge-strip 4 is secured longitudinally along the foldable hinge portion 3 on each side of the back portion 2 and consists of a sheet metal blank bent upon itself to form a longitudinally extending bore 5 and cut away at intervals as at'6 after the manner of a piano hinge. vThe strips 4: are rigidly secured to both sides of the cover 1. A

latching rod 7 is slidably mounted within.

the bore 5 and extends the full lengthof the binder, being limited in its reciprocatory movement by a slightly upset portion 8 of said rod which has a range of movement between the front and back walls 9 and 10 of a recess cut out from the strip 4 near one end thereof. The latching rod is of two diameters, alternating throughout the length of said rod, the parts not larger diameter fitting the bore 5 and being projected into the cutaway portions as shown in Figure 8 when the latching rod occupies an inward position. When the latching rod is pulled out as shown in Figure 2, the parts 12 of small diameter project into said cutaway portions. vThere are two latching rods 7, engageable within the opposite ends of the leaf-holding posts 13.

The latter arecooperably arranged. with respect to the latching rods, each of said posts comprising an arcuate bar having its ends tapered as shown at 14c in Figure 4 and being provided adjacent its ends with transverse bores 15 ot'such diameteras to afford a close sliding lit for the parts of the rods 7 of larger diameter. The endsot the posts 13 are provided also with slots 16 which open through the ends of said posts and communicate with the bores 15. The slots are of such width as to admit the entrance therethrough of the parts 12 of the latching rods of smaller diameter but to prevent the escape therefrom of the parts 11 of larger diameter.

The posts 13 are assembled into position as shown in Figure 1 by withdrawing the lower rod 7 to the position shown in Figure 2 and then placing the slotted ends of the posts over the parts 12 or smaller diameter. The rod 7 is then shoved inwardly so that the parts 11 of larger diameter come into the bore 5. Since said parts of larger diameter cannot escape through the slots 16 it is impossible for the posts to become detached unless the lower rod-be subsequently withdrawn.

A suitable number of perforated leaves are arranged upon the posts 13, and are secured from removal by swinging the free side of the cover upwardly and aligning the several parts of smaller diameter of the up perrod 7 with the slots in the tops of the posts and then causing said parts of smaller diameter to enter the bores 15 by slightly depressing the tree side of the cover. The upper latching rod is then pushed inwardly so that its parts of larger diameter enter the bores in the upper ends of the posts 13 securely latching them to the binder cover and preventing the loss or withdrawal of the leaves until the upper latching rod is released.

By making the slots 16 in the'ends of the posts 13, the cylindrical surfaces of said posts are rendered tree from undercut re cesses or other irregularities which would tend to catch orrtear theleaves as they are withdrawn from and replaced upon the posts. Moreover, the endwise location of said slots makes them visible to the user of the binder while placing the upperrod 7 in engagement with the posts thus facilitating the alignment of said rod with the slots.

lit has previously been attempted to devise alatching rod having flat portions in a single plane adapted to enter. slots in a plurality of leaf-holding posts, and then latched by turning said rod so as to present the broad side of said flattened portions to the slots. It sometimes happens, however, in a construction embodying this feature that the parts bind to such an extent that there is a twisting of the rod in the attempt to turn it to latching or unlatching position so that the flattened portions no longer lie in the same plane and are therefore unable simultaneously to enter the slots, thus rendering the device inoperative. The present invention is an improvement upon this construction since the latching rod is operated reciprocally and without subjecting it to a twisting strain. And were it possible through misuse to twist the latching rod the operation of the binder would not be at- :t'ected since the parts of said rod are cylindrical.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the form and relation of parts to suit different requirements of use, and that the invention, therefore, is not limited to the precise details of construction and arrangement shown.

Having describedmy invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A loose-leaf binder including in combination, a cover, a leaf-holding post car ried by said cover, said post having a transverse bore therethrough adjacent one end and a slot of smaller width than the diameter of the bore opening from the end taceof said post into said bore, a reciprocable latching rod secured to said cover and alignable with the bore in said post, said rod having adjacent parts of two diameters, one fitting said slot and the other said bore, said. rod being selectively longitudinally shii'table to bring the part of smaller di-* ameter into alignment with said slot'to enter therein and to telescope the part of larger diameter within said bore.

2.111 a loose-leaf binder, including in combination, a cover. a plurality of leafholding posts carried by said cover, said posts having transverse bores therethrough adjacent the ends and slots ot smaller width than the diameters of the bores opening from the end faces of said posts into said bores, a pair of reciprocable latching rods secured to said cover and alignable withthe bores in said posts, said rods having adjacent parts of two diameters cooperable with said posts, the parts of smaller diameter fitting said slots and the parts of larger diameter fitting said bores. each of said rods being selectively longitudinally shittable to bring the parts of smaller di ameter into alignment with said slots to enter thereinto or escape therefrom, and to bring the parts of larger diameter within said bores.

.3. A loose-leaf binder including in combination, a, cover, leaf-holding posts carried by said cover, said posts having transversebores therethrough adjacent one end, and slots of smaller width than the diameter of ,thebores opening from the end taces'of said posts into said bore, a hinge strip secured to said cover forming a bore, having cutaway portions vertically alignable with said posts, a latching rod reciprocably slidupon reciprocation of said latchin rod the parts of smaller diameter being a apt ed to enter Within the slots in said posts and the parts of larger diameter telescoping Within the bores of said posts.

4. In a loose-leaf binder, a reversible leafholding post having transverse bores therethrough at its opposite ends and slots of less width than the diameter of said bores opening through the opposite end faces of said post into said bores.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY C. GROZIER. Witnesses GRovER G. MORGAN, H. W. WILSON. 

